


I Guess This is Goodbye

by VivatRex



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode: s11e23 Alpha and Omega, Kissing, M/M, kind of more friendship than romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 09:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6976837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VivatRex/pseuds/VivatRex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why did he care so goddamn much? Why was he even here now? Why wasn’t he hiding under a rock somewhere, waiting for the world to end, like last time? He’d turned tail the second they’d spotted Death in Chicago. He certainly hadn’t stuck around for the prize fight between Lucifer and Michael.</p><p>But this time... This time, he was right in the thick of it with them.</p><p>Why?</p><p>Dean realized he was standing there, just staring at Crowley. Crap. He needed to say something, here.</p><p>[Written because I personally think it's bullshit that Dean didn't say goodbye to Crowley before he went off to suicide bomb Amara.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Guess This is Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> "Hurry, hurry  
> You've got my head in such a flurry, flurry  
> Oh freckle, freckle, what makes you so special?  
> What makes you so special?" ~Fall Out Boy, "w.a.m.s."

Dean and Sam pulled away from each other with effort. Dean felt like he was resisting a gravitational pull; everything inside of him was screaming to stay here, in his brother's orbit, as always.

Together, against the world, forever.

But the world was ending, the sun was a dying muddy red orb in the sky, and this was it. This was their end game. He'd known in the back of his mind for a long time that they would reach this point soon... the point of no return.

His eyes went from Sam, to Cas, to his mother's grave.

_Would you be proud of me, Mom?_

He sure as hell hoped so. He took several deep breaths, trying to ignore the supernova blazing inside of his chest. It took all he had in him to turn his back on Sam.

Time to go play hero.

His eyes flicked to Chuck, who looked ready to faint on the spot. Rowena seemed to be the only thing keeping him standing. Dean was about to give Chuck the all-clear, but then he stopped himself short.

Okay. So maybe there was one more person he owed some kind of goodbye to.

He did a 180 so he was face-to-face with the former King of Hell. Crowley tilted his chin up, giving Dean an appraising once-over, as if gauging his worth. It was the same look he'd given him the night they first met, in that mansion in Bootback with all the lights out, and the Colt pointed straight at his head.

Ah, memories. Hard to believe that had been, what, seven, eight years ago?

Time flies.

“Squirrel,” Crowley greeted him coolly.

“Boris.”

What could he even say? They had been friends, once upon a time. He couldn’t deny that, no matter how much he wanted to. He also couldn’t deny that for some insane fucking reason, Crowley cared about him. Demons didn’t _do_ caring, and yet...

Well. Maybe he still had a touch of human in his system, even after nearly three years since the almost-cure.

But this past year hadn’t been good for them. Sure, Crowley had been there when the chips were down... but things had been strained. Didn’t help matters that Crowley had nearly killed him a few months back.

_“Do you know how disturbing it was to realize that I couldn't bring myself to kill you? I've had tons of chances over the years, some you don't even know about, but, still... I made my peace with it, embraced my softer side, learned to accept that there was just too much going on between you and I...”_

Which always prompted Dean to wonder what exactly made him so special. Why had Crowley never been able to kill him? What was his fascination with Dean? Why had he chosen him for the Mark of Cain in the first place? And above all, why, after all the times they’d screwed him over - and vice versa - why was he always there when they needed him?

Why did he care so goddamn much? Why was he even here now? Why wasn’t he hiding under a rock somewhere, waiting for the world to end, like last time? He’d turned tail the second they’d spotted Death in Chicago. He certainly hadn’t stuck around for the prize fight between Lucifer and Michael.

But this time... This time, he was right in the thick of it with them.

_Why?_

Dean realized he was standing there, just staring at Crowley. Crap. He needed to say something, here.

“I hate you.”

Okay, ah. Not quite as elegant or meaningful as he was hoping for.

Crowley smirked up at him. “Hate you more.”

Yeah, that about summed the two of them up, didn’t it?

Dean stuck out his hand to Crowley. He sure as hell wasn’t going to hug the little bastard, but a handshake, he could do that.

Crowley just laughed. “Oh _please_.”

He grabbed Dean by the wrist, yanked him down and forward in one precise movement, and kissed him.

Dean froze, not fully registering Crowley’s lips stubbornly pressed against his. After a moment, he blinked, relaxing into it. He shouldn’t be surprised. It was such a Crowley thing to do, he should've expected it.

Dean didn’t really kiss him back, but he allowed himself to _be_ kissed. After a few moments, apparently satisfied, Crowley pulled away.

“I can cross that off my bucket list,” the demon drawled, grinning at him.

“Try everything once,” Dean said with a shrug.

Crowley released his wrist, expression growing somber. “Good luck, Dean.”

Dean swallowed. Not goodbye. Good luck. Maybe that was better. “Thanks, Crowley.”

He turned away. Sam looked faintly disgusted, and Cas just seemed confused. Rowena gave him a Motherly Face of Disapproval, and Chuck...

Well, Chuck wasn’t doing much of anything, other than dying.

“Are you ready?” he rasped.

Dean nodded. “I’m ready.”


End file.
